Sunday, March 25, 2018

Book Review: 'Melt My Heart' by Marie Tuhart

Lexi has some very deep, personal issues. She desperately craves a Dom, a man who can help make her lose control. She’s asked Gabriel to be that man, but after a disastrous night at the BDSM club where she just can’t obey him and let go, she thinks it’s all over between them. Gabriel, however, isn’t going to let her go that easily. He’s determined to try and work things out between them. Can Lexi work with him and give them what they both want?

This was a really interesting story. I was very pleasantly surprised it took a different track to many BDSM stories. Lexi seems like she yearns for the spice and adventure of a BDSM lifestyle and this hunger has led her to overlook some of the most basic steps. I loved how Gabriel was willing to be so patient with her, to force her to go back and really examine why she craves being a sub, and what sort of things are holding her back from letting go of her control. I could really sympathize with Lexi wanting to move forward – not seemingly backward – but this actually hooked me even more, empathizing with her and wanting to see it all work out.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the trust grow between Lexi and Gabriel. This was a chance to see a couple who already knew some things about each other go back and start their commitment all over again. It was also really good to watch Lexi yield some of her control – she knew Gabriel was a good man and that she could trust him – but also the perfect opportunity for Gabriel to show he understood and had compassion for Lexi too.

This all made the story seem much deeper emotionally – more traditionally romantic – rather than just a hot, erotic “take me” style of story. While some elements of BDSM are shown – spanking, tying up etc – I found that there was a gentleness to it all. It’s clear in every word Gabriel cares deeply for Lex, and while the scenes were written explicitly, I didn’t find it all all shocking or over the top. This is a good story I’d recommend to readers interesting in starting to read BDSM stories that aren’t too hard-core.

Editor's note: This article was originally published at Long and Short Reviews. It has been republished with permission.Like what you read? Subscribe to the SFRB's free daily email notice so you can be up-to-date on our latest articles. Scroll up this page to the sign-up field on your right.